Goucher College Partners for Collaborative Degree Program to Address Nursing Shortage

Goucher College and Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) are partnering to address the ongoing nursing shortage in the state and nationwide by making it easier for students at Goucher to enroll in NDMU’s fast-track Bachelor of Science in Nursing program.

The new partnership between the two universities enables Goucher students to enroll in Notre Dame’s accelerated, second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program once they graduate with any Bachelor’s degree from Goucher, and after completing required prerequisite courses. If they meet admission requirements, eligible Goucher students will be accepted into Notre Dame’s nationally-accredited ABSN program, which can be completed in as few as 15 months.

NDMU President Marylou Yam and Goucher College President Kent Devereaux participated in a ceremonial signing of the joint agreement on Friday, September 13 at 10 a.m. on NDMU’s campus in the University Academic Building’s Center for Caring with Technology.

“We are proud to partner with Goucher to offer an opportunity for pre-health students to transition into Notre Dame’s accelerated, second-degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program,” said Dr. Yam, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University. “As a registered nurse myself, I know first-hand the positive impact that professional nursing has on healthcare outcomes, health policy, and research. This agreement demonstrates Notre Dame’s continuing dedication to help build the pipeline of registered nurses in our state.”

"Our collaboration with Notre Dame of Maryland University provides our students with a direct pathway to accomplish their career goals while benefiting from an innovative liberal arts education at Goucher," said Goucher College President Kent Devereaux. "This partnership allows us to support our students' success while helping to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in Maryland.”

Once accepted into Notre Dame’s ABSN program, students can choose the pathway that works best for them: either in person at NDMU’s main Baltimore campus or a hybrid option with online instruction and in-person clinical experiences at Notre Dame’s ABSN Learning Site in Elkridge. Students gain technical nursing skills through direct care clinical placements with the region’s most prestigious healthcare providers, as well as through simulation-based learning with life-like mannequins in on-site labs at Notre Dame’s main campus and the Elkridge location.

Notre Dame’s ABSN program in Baltimore enrolls new students in May, and the Elkridge site starts new cohorts in September, January, and May.